Here's my Opinion (You're Not Gonna Like It...)

Okay, so most of you by now have seen the 10-minute-long video of 64-year-old Karen Klein being "bullied" (for lack of a better word) by some middle school boys on the school bus.  I know that bullying is the hot button issue this year, but I have some strong opinions about that, and in the wake of all of this fuss and bother, I thought I should air them.

First off, this is nothing new.  Seeing this video reminds me of the "crazy witch lady" in town... people have always preyed upon the weak and marginalized as a way to reaffirm their place in mainstream society.  Yes, these kids are little shits, and yes, as parents and school systems there need to be punishments in place, but stop wailing about it like it's the end of the world - this is nothing new, the only difference is that thanks to the internet and the profoundly stupid act of recording it, we can see it.

Next, put yourself in this scenario.  You are a paid childcare provider whose sole job is to make sure kids don't act up on the bus.  Kids start acting up on the bus.  What do you do?  Do you sit there and let them call you a fatass and cry, or do you stand up at the next stop and kick them off the bus?  Take their names, report to the school and the parents.  Make the kids sit in separate seats.  There's also a bus driver, so enlist his/her help if the kids won't move.  This can't be the first time this has happened, and there have to be disciplinary structures in place for kids who are acting out.  You are the adult, and it is your job to model good behavior and command respect.  If you can't do that, you have no place in education of any sort.  Kids have called me this and worse, but you can't let it get out of control or you end up with the sort of feeding frenzy that happened here.

Anyone who has worked with children knows a Karen.  There are two types - one is the easygoing, laugh-it-off type who lets kids get away with murder by the way they talk to you.  They don't demand respect because they are afraid of enforcing rules, and they don't believe that they are able to.  Or they don't want to deal with the fallout of having done something that kids don't like.  You'll notice in this particular video that the kids have a conversational, mature tone to thier mocking - "Do you have herpes, Karen?"  This implies to me that it was not the first time that the conversation between her and these kids got too personal/familiar.

The other type is the huffy-puffy type - they yell and lecture, but take very little action.  They overreact to small things done by the weaker kids, but don't stand up to the strong ones.  Thier punishments are overblown or not serious enough.  They yell a lot to hide the fact that they are actually very ineffective, whether due to laziness or simply not knowing how to handle things.  My guess is that Karen tried to discipline the kids before this hideous tirade, and that's what led to the "bullying."  I'm sure that they unwittingly hit a nerve when talking about suicide, and that's why she was crying, but if she was at the point where she could no longer effectively discipline these kids, she needed to get help from the bus driver.

Also, these kids need effective discipline dealt out fairly, not the great internet lynch mob sending them hate mail or other kids beating them up.  The bus is not a right, so first off they need to be suspended from riding it for the rest of the year.  I was talking to Husband about this, and when I was growing up people got kicked off the bus all the time.  It's a safety issue, and if kids can't respect the rules then their parents are going to have to figure out how to get them to school.  One would hope that the parents of these boys would figure out a way for them to make restitution, and have a long discussion about respect.  Also, the phones would be gone - especially for the kid who filmed it.

I am guessing by the less-than-immediate response from the school that this is not the first time that Karen has run up against similar situations.  She is either too kindhearted or too unpredictable to be working with children, and the school knows it.  My point here is that yes, this is a terrible incident, but it happened not as a result of bullying, but as a result of ineffective discipline by a paid employee.  "Giving Karen a vacation" with $500,000 seems a little ridiculous when you think of all of the teachers and bus drivers who control situations so that they don't get to this point every day.


We can talk more about real bullying another day, because I have some opinions about that too.

Tidying Thursday...

My goal with this day is to share something that makes my house/body/life a bit neater.  I think today I will spotlight one of my favorite shows, "How Clean is Your House?"  There is actually an American version that is still entertaining, but today I'd like to talk about the British Version. 

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for shows where bossy people barge in and tell you how to live your life.  Super Nanny, Dog Whisperer, Clean House... I am obsessed with the intoxicating combo of voyeurism, helpful hints, and motivation.  Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie are the perfect hosts of this British cleaning show, and not only do the nightmare houses that they invade make you want to take a shower (after cleaning it of course), they show plenty of affordable cleaning tips.  

Now if you remember I am a big fan of Method cleaning products... I love the mild fragrances and how gentle they are on surfaces, hands, and pets.  They are the only supplies I purchase - the rest of my cleaning is done with common household items.  Here are a few can't-miss household tips that I have gleaned from watching this show.

1. Baking Soda is invaluable.  I use it for lots of things, but one of my favorites is a simple drain cleaner... Prime your drains with boiling water, pour baking soda down the drain and add plenty of white vinegar.  The famous "volcano" reaction of elementary school busts up mild clogs and helps keep things running smoothly.
2. Toothpaste is a very mild abrasive.  I use it to clean my bathtub, sink, stovetop, and other places that get really gunky - and it smells great!  Always use plain non-gel kind.
3. Lemons are a good degreaser... I literally rubbed a cut lemon on a very greasy part of my stove and it took it right off.  Just be sure to wipe it off with a damp cloth after you're done, since the acid might not be good for certain surfaces.
4. Fruit flies are a pest that we always have to deal with come summer.  The best trap that I have found to get rid of them is a mason jar with plastic wrap covering the top.  Poke a few small holes in the top and fill about 1/4 of the way with apple cider vinegar or similar fruit juice (vinegar works best right away.)  Put a few drops of dish detergent on the top of the water to destroy the surface tension, and the flies go in and drown.
5. Put a thin layer of shaving cream on mirrors to avoid fogging after showers.  Be sure to avoid any kind with moisturizer or fancy scents - generally the cheaper the better!

Sleep can be a Beast...

It's incredibly difficult to get into a schedule when you for some reason sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon.  Hopefully this won't become a habit, I hate losing half of the day.  Here's what I've been up to, though!

Playing on Slides...

Chasing babies...

Hanging with the Nephews...

Watching cars go fast...

Saying Goodbye...

Settling Catan...

Also watching a lot of old movies.  Like, a lot.  Because it has been REALLY humid and gross.

And going for two hour walks at midnight.

AND planning costumes for 31 Jellicle cats.  

Peanut does NOT like it when you sing the "Jellicle Cats" song loudly in her face when she's sleeping.  Odd, because she doesn't seem to mind meowing loudly in mine when I am sleeping...

Make Something Monday: Home Management Binder Edition!

The results of my first "Make Something Mondays" have gone well, with my home management binder arranged and in use:

Organized!

I love this, and hope that it will be useful.  I followed the instructions found at A Bowl Full of Lemons, and she has a really amazing etsy friend who will sell you printables at a very  reasonable price.  Since I am both a cheapo and pretty lazy, I didn't want to run the risk of buying a bunch of printables and not using them, so I hunted around to find free ones.  I use Week at a Glance, Menu Planner and Shopping List, Monthly Budget, Gas Log, and several other printables which I am not as happy with.  This is definitely a great project to do, and required a bit of start up time, some patience to develop new habits, and of course printer ink.  Definitely worth a go!